Providing Load Balanced Secure Media Content and Data Delivery in a Distributed Computing Environment

Abstract

A system and method for providing load balanced secure media content and data delivery in a distributed computing environment is disclosed. Media content is segmented and encrypted into a set of individual encrypted segments on a centralized control center. Each individual encrypted segment has the same fixed size. The complete set of individual encrypted segments is staged to a plurality of intermediate control nodes. Individual encrypted segments are mirrored from the staged complete set to a plurality of intermediate servers. Requests are received from clients for the media content at the centralized control center. Each individual encrypted segment in the set is received from one of an intermediate control node and an intermediate server optimally sited from the requesting client. The individual encrypted segments are reassembled into the media content for media playback.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating an edge server for providing load balanced secure media content delivery in a distributed computing environment wherein the media content is segmented and encrypted into a plurality of individually encrypted segments, comprising:
 receiving the plurality of individually encrypted segments from a centralized server, the plurality of individually encrypted segments reassemblable into the media content for media playback;   receiving a plurality of requests from a client computer optimally proximate to the edge server for at least some of the plurality of individually encrypted segments, each of the plurality of requests requesting a corresponding individually encrypted segment of the plurality of individually encrypted segments; and   transmitting the at least some of the plurality of individually encrypted segments to the client computer.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more client computers determines a network throughput prior to requesting the individually encrypted segments. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the media content comprises at least one of a video file, an audio file or a video game. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each client computer comprises at least one of a personal computer, a mobile phone or set top device. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the at least some of the plurality of individually encrypted segments is performed in a non-sequential order. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising maintaining a master database of user profiles. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the individually encrypted segments are variable in size. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising pre-sending at least one of the individually encrypted segments to the one or more client computers before a request for retrieving media content is received from the one or more client computers. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the media content is encrypted using a content key and at least a part of the content key is transmitted in a digitally signed data structure. 
     
     
         10 . An edge server for providing load balanced secure media content delivery in a distributed computing environment wherein the media content is segmented and encrypted into a plurality of individually encrypted segments, the edge server comprising:
 at least one processor executing instructions stored in memory, the at least one processor operable to receive the plurality of individually encrypted segments from a centralized server, the plurality of individually encrypted segments reassemblable into the media content for media playback;   the at least one processor further operable to receive a plurality of requests from a client computer optimally proximate to the edge server for at least some of the plurality of individually encrypted segments, each of the plurality of requests requesting a corresponding individually encrypted segment of the plurality of individually encrypted segments; and   the at least one processor even further operable to transmit the at least some of the plurality of individually encrypted segments to the client computer.   
     
     
         11 . The network according to  claim 10 , wherein the media content comprises at least one of a video file, an audio file or a video game. 
     
     
         12 . The network according to  claim 10 , wherein each client computer comprises at least one of a personal computer, a mobile phone or set top device. 
     
     
         13 . The network according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor transmits the at least some of the individually encrypted segments in a non-sequential order. 
     
     
         14 . The network according to  claim 10 , further comprising a master database of user profiles. 
     
     
         15 . The network according to  claim 10 , wherein the individually encrypted segments are variable in size. 
     
     
         16 . The network according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor pre-sends at least one of the individually encrypted segments to the one or more client computers before a request for retrieving media content is received from the one or more client computers. 
     
     
         17 . The network according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more client computers determines a network throughput prior to requesting the individually encrypted segments. 
     
     
         18 . A method for providing load balanced secure media content delivery in a distributed computing environment, the method comprising:
 segmenting and encoding media content into a set of encrypted segments, said encrypted segments reassemblable into the media content for media playback;   storing the set of encrypted segments at a staging server;   mirroring said set of encrypted segments from said staging server onto a plurality of edge servers;   authenticating an end user;   retrieving a user profile of the authenticated end user;   choosing an optimally sited edge server from the plurality of edge servers, based at least in part on a location of a client utilized by the end user;   receiving a plurality of individual segment requests from the client at the optimally sited edge server, each individual segment request of the plurality of segment requests requesting transmittal of a corresponding encrypted segment mirrored at the optimally sited edge server;   transmitting the requested corresponding encrypted segments from the optimally sited edge server to the client.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the client determines a network load prior to sending at least some of the plurality of segment requests. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the client determines a network load prior to sending each individual segment request of the plurality of individual segment requests. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the media content comprises at least one of a video file, an audio file, or a video game. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the client is a module on at least one of a personal computer, a mobile phone, or a set top device. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the optimally sited edge server simultaneously serves a plurality of clients, each client requesting individually encrypted segments from a different set of encrypted segments. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising maintaining a master database of user profiles. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the individually encrypted segments are variable in size. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the set of encrypted segments is encrypted using one unique key per individual segment. 
     
     
         27 . A network for providing load balanced secure media content delivery in a distributed computing environment, the network comprising:
 a centralized server comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in memory, the centralized server configured to:
 segment and encode media content into a set of encrypted segments, the encrypted segments reassemblable into the media content for media playback; and 
 store the set of encrypted segments; 
   a plurality of edge servers, each comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in a memory and configured to:
 receive a copy of the set of encrypted segments, and mirror the set of encrypted segments received; 
   a request processing module comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in memory, and configured to:
 authenticate an end user; 
 retrieve a user profile of the authenticated end user; 
   an optimally sited edge server chosen from the plurality of edge servers, based at least in part on a location of a client utilized by the end user, and configured to:
 receive a plurality of individual segment requests from the client, each individual segment request of the plurality of segment requests requesting transmittal of a corresponding encrypted segment mirrored at the optimally sited edge server; and 
 transmit the requested corresponding encrypted segments from the optimally sited edge server to the client. 
   
     
     
         28 . The network of  claim 27 , wherein the client determines a network load prior to sending at least some of the plurality of segment requests. 
     
     
         29 . The network of  claim 27 , wherein the client determines a network load prior to sending each individual segment request of the plurality of individual segment requests. 
     
     
         30 . The network of  claim 27 , wherein the media content comprises at least one of a video file, an audio file, or a video game. 
     
     
         31 . The network of  claim 27 , wherein the client is a module on at least one of a personal computer, a mobile phone, or a set top device. 
     
     
         32 . The network of  claim 27 , wherein the optimally sited edge server simultaneously serves a plurality of clients, each client requesting individually encrypted segments from a different set of individually encrypted segments. 
     
     
         33 . The network of  claim 27 , further comprising maintaining a master database of user profiles. 
     
     
         34 . The network of  claim 27 , wherein the individually encrypted segments are variable in size. 
     
     
         35 . The network of  claim 27 , wherein the set of encrypted segments is encrypted using one unique key per individual segment. 
     
     
         36 . A network for providing load balanced media content delivery in a distributed computing environment, the network comprising:
 a centralized server comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in memory, the centralized server configured to:
 segment media content into a set of segments, the segments reassemblable into the media content for media playback; and 
 store the set of segments; 
   a plurality of edge servers, each comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in a memory and configured to:
 receive a copy of the set of segments, and mirror the set of segments received; 
   a request processing module comprising at least one processor executing instructions stored in memory, and configured to:
 authenticate an end user; 
 retrieve a user profile of the authenticated end user; 
   an optimally sited edge server chosen from the plurality of edge servers, based at least in part on a location of a client utilized by the end user, and configured to:
 receive a plurality of individual segment requests from the client, each individual segment request of the plurality of segment requests requesting transmittal of a corresponding encrypted segment mirrored at the optimally sited edge server; and 
 transmit the requested corresponding segments from the optimally sited edge server to the client, wherein the client determines a network load prior to sending at least some of the plurality of segment requests. 
   
     
     
         37 . The network of  claim 36 , wherein the client determines a network load prior to sending each individual segment request of the plurality of individual segment requests. 
     
     
         38 . The network of  claim 36 , wherein the media content comprises at least one of a video file, an audio file, or a video game. 
     
     
         39 . The network of  claim 36 , wherein the client is a module on at least one of a personal computer, a mobile phone, or a set top device. 
     
     
         40 . The network of  claim 36 , wherein the optimally sited edge server simultaneously serves a plurality of clients, each client requesting individual segments from a different set of individual segments. 
     
     
         41 . The network of  claim 36 , wherein the request processing module is further configured to maintain a master database of user profiles.